cdcan NEWS REPORT
Report #047-2007  April 10, 2007 - Tuesday
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California State Budget
* Assembly Subcommittee on Health & Human Services Meets 4/11 1:30 PM
* Will Focus on IHSS, Regional Centers and Developmental Centers
* Update on Agnews Developmental Center Closure
* Governor's Proposal to Freeze State's Participation for IHSS Worker Wages
* Senate Subcommittee Okays  Agnews Healthcare Related Legislative Language

SACRAMENTO  -  The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblymember Patty Berg (Democrat - Eureka, 1st District), meets Wednesday afternoon (April 11) at 1:30 PM in the State Capitol, Room 4202 to focus on two major budget issues impacting children, adults and seniors with disabilities: in-home supportive services (IHSS) under the Department of Social Services and developmental services under the Department of Developmental Services.  
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April 11, 2007 - Wednesday at 1:30 PM
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
State Capitol - Room 4202 (note room change)
(See below for topics to be covered, and go to the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us for copy of full final agenda when it is released)

Developmental services includes the operation of 5 developmental centers and 2 smaller institutions, and oversight of 21 non-profit regional centers who fund community-based services and supports for over 220,000 children, adults and seniors with developmental disabilities.  The subcommittee will hear about the Governor's proposals to continue various "cost containment" measures that Department of Developmental Service officials said several years ago had to be temporary or would cause harm to the community-based system, and update and status regarding transition of people moving out of Agnews Developmental Center, including concerns regarding healthcare.

In-Home Supportive Services provides in-home supports and services to about 370,000 children and adults with disabilities (including developmental), seniors, people with mental health needs, people with MS and other health needs, people with traumatic brain and other injuries. The subcommittee will hear the Governor's controversial proposal to freeze the State's share of funding (participation) toward IHSS worker wages and benefits at the level it was at effective when legislation is approved to change current state law.  While not specifically rolling back or freezing IHSS worker wages, the impact of the Govenor's proposal, according to advocates, would be to freeze State funding to the counties for the main costs of the IHSS program - and counties will  be unable to provide the additional funding for future IHSS worker wage and benefit increases.  Other major issue is status of the IHSS Quality Assurance program. 

Several Budget Hearings Already Held - And Many Hearings Coming Up
Several hearings have been held covering Medi-Cal, mental health, aging, education issues, with additional hearings on those and other  issues impacting people with disabilities, seniors and people with mental health needs scheduled.
The impact and importance of the hearings scheduled will depend on the specifics in the hearing agendas, which are not usually available until a few days before the hearing date.  .

Agenda for April 11th Assembly Budget Subcommittee Wednesday Hearing
Though the final agenda could still change, the budget issues to be heard during the Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday is as follows (it appears that possibly In-Home Supportive Services issues will be going first.:

Department of Social Services Budget Issues (Budget Item #5180)
* IHSS Program and Caseload
* Governor's Proposed Freeze of State Participation in IHSS Worker (Provider) Wages
* Assessment of IHSS Quality Assurance Initiative
* Implementation Update on Direct Deposit of IHSS Worker (Provider) Paychecks
* IHSS Worker (Provider) Training and MACR Proposal (proposal from IHSS worker unions)
* IHSS Worker (Provider) Rate Proposal (Proposal from California Association of Public Authorities)

Department of Developmental Disabilities Budget Issues Budget Item #4300)
* Community Services Program and Purchase of Service
* Rate Reform for Regional Center funded Community-Based Services
* Governor's Proposal to Continue Temporary Cost Containment Measures
* Developmental Centers Program
* Agnew Closure and Move to Community
* Governor's Proposal for Fund Shift from Public Transportation Account
* Capital Outlay Requests
* Technical Correction to the Governor's Budget – Funding Shift Change (Spring Department of Finance Letter)
* Salary Enhancements for Mental Health Professionals in Developmental Centers (Spring Department of Finance Letter)
* Continued Implementation of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program measures for people with developmental disabilities
   
SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES AGNEWS RELATED HEALTHCARE LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE
The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs held a nearly 4 hour hearing Monday (April 9) that was largely dominated by issues relating to the transition of people with developmental disabilities who lived or are living at Agnews Developmental Center in San Jose, scheduled for closure by the end of June 2008.  A full report of that subcommittee hearing is covered in a separate CDCAN Report.

Persons attending or testifying at the subcommittee hearing included dozens of parents and family members who have children or family members at Agnews Developmental Center, community advocates including several persons with disabilities living in their communities, providers. representatives of SEIU, (Service Employees International Union), regional centers, and associations representing various groups and organizations.  Also providing updates and information were Schwarzenegger Administration officials including the director of the Department of Developmental Services Terry Delgadillo and other department senior staff, and representatives from Department of Health Care Services and Department of Finance. 

The Senate Budget Subcommittee, chaired by San Jose Democrat State Sen. Elaine Alquist, approved legislative language (referred to as "trailer bill language" because it follows or trails the main budget bill)  dealing with health care issues of people being moved out of Agnews into the surrounding communities. 
A copy of that budget related legislative language - which still needs approval by the Assembly, is on the CDCAN website at: www.cdcan.us

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services held a hearing also late afternoon Monday, covering major mental health services issues under the Department of Mental Health.  See separate CDCAN Report for details and also CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us for copy of agenda. 

STATE BUDGET HEARINGS AT A GLANCE BY ISSUE
This is a list of currently scheduled hearings dealing with In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) and Developmental Services (Regional Centers and Developmental Centers)  This list does not include hearings on other critical issues including Medi-Cal, Transportation, Education, Housing (see separate CDCAN report on all hearings)  It does include (see separate CDCAN reports or go to CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us) hearings on regular bills that deal with some of these same issues. 

Budget Hearings on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Issues
Assembly: April 11 at 1:30 PM and Senate: April 19 at 09:30 AM or upon adjournment of floor session
Budget Hearings on Regional Centers & Developmental Centers Issues
Assembly: April 11 at 1:30 PM (Assembly) and Senate: May 7, follow-up to April 9th Senate subcommittee hearing held
Budget Hearings on SSI/SSP Budget Issues
Senate: April 19 at 09:30 AM or upon adjournment of floor session and Assembly: May 2

Subcommittees Play Important Part of State Budget Process
The subcommittees play an important role in the budget process - though this year many important decisions will be held off until after the Governor releases revisions to his proposed budget in mid-May (referred to as the "May Revise"). 
That revision will likely have new proposals that could mean new or larger spending reductions, if projections of State revenues continues to fall dramatically, according to the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office.

Senate Health and Human Services Budget Subcommittee Members
*  The 3 members Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor & Veteran Affairs are:
Democrats (2):  Elaine Alquist (Democrat - San Jose, 13th District) - chair, and Alex Padilla (Democrat - Pacoima, 20th District)
Republican (1): Dave Cogdill (Republican - Modesto, 14th District).

Assembly Health & Human Services Budget Subcommittee Members
*  The 6 members of the Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services are::
Democrats (4):  Patty Berg (Democrat - Eureka, 1st District) the subcommittee chair, Jim Beall (Democrat - San Jose, 24th District),  Hector De La Torre (Democrat - Southgate, 50th District) and Edward Hernandez (Democrat - West Covina, 57th District)
Republican (2):  John Benoit (Republican - Riverside, 64th District) and Bill Maze (Republican - Visalia, 34th District)
Note: John Laird, the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, is the Democratic alternate member for this subcommittee, and Roger Niello is the Republican alternate.

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The California Disability Community Action Network is a non-partisan network connecting  tens of thousands of Californians in every community, including people of color, people of every type of disability, including people with physical disabilities, people with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain and other injuries, people with mental health needs, seniors, people with MS, Alzheimer's and others, and families, community organizations and providers, in-home, direct care and other workers, and other advocates.

MANY THANKS to Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR), Parents Helping Parents, Arriba, Strategies To Empower People, Parents Helping Parents, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, and hundreds of individuals.  Thanks also to partnerships and the good people with the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and also the Department of Health Services, the Department of Developmental Services, Department of Social Services and the CA Health and Human Services Agency and other agencies, and the State Legislature and staff, the Legislative Analyst Office.